Baseball Recap: Hooper Academy Victorious

Hooper Academy proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by eight) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Escambia Academy Cougars, sneaking past 4-2. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 11-3 on Thursday.

Cope Russell and Cooper Cook made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Russell didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Cook tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Russell got on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Cook went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.

Jeremy Griggs

Stolen Base (Career)

03/20/26 @ Escambia Academy	5
03/19/26 vs Escambia Academy	4
03/03/26 @ Wiregrass	4
03/11/25 vs Macon-East Montgomery Academy	3
02/24/25 vs Crenshaw Christian Academy	3

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jeremy Griggs, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with five stolen bases and two runs. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high.

Hooper Academy's victory bumped their record up to 9-3. As for Escambia Academy, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost six of their last seven contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-8-1 record this season.

Hooper Academy will square off against The Rock Academy at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Lions have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 13.75 runs per game on average), something the Colts will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Escambia Academy, they will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Wilcox Academy at 4:00 p.m. on the 31st.